Works printed by William Caxton, England’s first
printer.
A
Catalogue of Books Printed by (or
ascribed to the press of) William Caxton, in which
is included the Press-mark of every Copy contained
in the Library of the British Museum. Compiled by
William Blades. London, 1865.
The Dictes and
Sayings of the Philosophers. A
facsimile reproduction of the first book printed in
England by William Caxton, in 1477. London: Elliot
Stock, 1877. The librarian has catalogued this book
under the name of Abū al-Wafāʼ Mubashshir ibn Fātik
as author. The identification of the book as
ultimately the work of Abū al-Wafāʼ Mubashshir ibn
Fātik may be correct, and his name has become
inseparably attached to the work on the Internet;
but a bit of research suggests that almost all the
references to him on line spring from a single
Wikipedia
article, where the name was inserted by an
editor who was not a native speaker of English, and
whose footnoted source does not support his
assertion (or even mention the name Abū al-Wafāʼ
Mubashshir ibn Fātik).
This
sad and wistful article about Baghdad literary
culture may have more of the story.
The
same, at Google Books.
The Game of Chesse
by William Caxton. A fac-simile reproduction of the
first work printed in England, from the copy in the
British Museum. 1862. Illustrated with woodcuts.
Only 80 copies were sold of this facsimile, making
it scarcely less rare than the original. Obviously
there is some disagreement about which book was the
first to come of Caxton's press at Westminster.
(
Another copy.)
The Game of the
Chesse, by William Caxton. Reproduced
in facsimile from a copy in the British Museum. With
a few remarks on Caxton's typographical productions.
By Vincent Figgins. 1860. A different facsimile from
the one above.
A
very good scan from Archive.org.
Caxton's Game and
Playe of the Chesse, 1474. A verbatim
reprint of the first edition. With an introduction
by William E. A. Axon, M.R.S.L. 1883. Original
spelling and punctuation, with woodcuts, but printed
in roman type.
Caxton's Book of
Curtesye, printed at Westminster
about 1477-78 A.D., and now reprinted, with two ms.
copies of the same treatise, from the Oriel Ms. 79,
and the Balliol Ms. 354. Edited by Frederick J.
Furnivall, M.A. Early English Text Society, 1868.
The
Mirrour of the World, or thymage of the same.
—Caxton’s 1480 edition, well scanned by the
Library of Congress. “I began first to translate
the second day of Janyver the yere of our Lord
.M.CCCC.lxxx. And fynysshed the viii day of Marche
the same yere.”
Caxton's Mirrour of
the World, edited by Oliver H. Prior.
Early English Text Society, 1913. Originally printed
by Caxton in 1480.
The History of
Reynard the Fox, from the Edition
Printed by Caxton in 1481. With notes, and an
introductory sketch of the literary history of the
romance, by William J. Thoms, Esq., F.S.A. 1844.
This edition is slightly expurgated, but otherwise
spelled as Caxton printed it.
(
Another copy.)
Dialogues in French
and English. By William Caxton.
(Adapted from a Fourteenth-Century Book of Dialogues
in French and Flemish.) Edited from Caxton's printed
text (abour 1483), with introduction, notes, and
word-lists, by Henry Bradley, M.A. Early English
Text Society, 1900.
The Curial,
made by maystere Alain Charretier. Translated thus
in Englyssh by William Caxton. 1484. Collated with
the French original by Prof. Paul Meyer, and edited
by Frederick J. Furnivall. Early English Text
Society, 1888.
The Fables of
Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton
in 1484 with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio, now
again edited and induced by Joseph Jacobs. David
Nutt, 1889.
Paris
and Vienne. Thystorye of the noble
ryght valyaunt and worthy knyght Parys, and of the
fayr Vyenne, the daulphyns doughter of Vyennoys.
From the unique copy printed by William Caxton at
Westminster in the year M.CCCC.LXXXV. Roxburgh
Library, 1868. —A reprint in modern type but
original spellings and punctuation.
Caxton's Blanchardyn
and Eglantine, c. 1489. From Lord
Spencer's unique imperfect copy, completed by the
original French and the second English version of
1595, edited by Dr. Leon Kellner, of Vienna. Early
English Text Society, 1890. This edition has cxxvi
pages of introduction, including what nearly amounts
to a book in itself on Caxton's syntax and style.
The Fifteen O's, and
other Prayers. Printed by commandment
of the Princess Elizabeth, Queen of England and of
France, and also of the Princess Margaret, Mother of
our Sovereign Lord the King. By their most humble
subject and servant, William Caxton. (Circa 1490.)
Reproduced in photo-lithography by Stephen Ayling.
(
Another copy,
rather amusingly marked "Church of England, Book of
Common Prayer, Selections" by a librarian.)
A
very good scan at Archive.org.
Caxton's Eneydos,
1490. Englisht from the French
Liure des Eneydes, 1483. Edited by
the late W. T. Culley, M.A., Oxford, and F. J.
Furnivall, M.A., Camb., with a sketch of the Old
French
Roman
D'Eneas by Dr. Salverda de Grave. Early
English Text Society, 1890.
The
same, at Archive.org.
Le Morte Darthur,
by Sir Thomas Malory, Knight. Caxton's edition,
reprinted in 1889, with original spelling and
punctuation.
The Byrth, Lyf.
and Actes of Kyng Arthyr; of his Noble Knyghtes of
the Rounde Table, theyr Marveyllous Enquestes and
Aduentures, Thachyeuyng of the Sant Greal; and in
the end Le Morte Darthur, with the Dolorous Deth
and Departyng Out of Thys Worlds of Them Al. With
and introduction and notes, by Robert Southey, Esq.
Printed from Caxton's Edition, 1485. 1817. —Looks
like a very close reprint of Caxton's version, but
the 1889 edition above accuses it of being riddled
with errors and unacknowledged interpolations. With
a long introduction by Southey, who apparently is
not responsible for the editing of the text itself.
Le Morte Darthur.
Sir Thomas Malory's Book of King Arthur and of his
Noble Knights of the Round Table. The text of
Caxton, edited, with an introduction, by Sir Edward
Strachey, Bart. 1899. Modern spelling and
punctuation, but otherwise as Caxton printed it.
Small type in double columns.
(
Another copy.)